Magma: Kobaia 1970

 

Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by self-taught drummer Christian

Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. The style of progressive rock that Vander developed with Magma is termed "Zeuhl", and has been applied to other bands in France operating in the same period, and to some recent Japanese bands.
                 

In early 1967, drummer Christian Vander played in the Wurdalaks and Cruciferius Lobonz, two rhythm

and blues bands. With these groups, he wrote his first compositions, "Nogma" and "Atumba". The death of John Coltrane saddened Vander, who left the groups and traveled to Italy. He returned to France in 1969 and met saxophonist René Garber and bassist and conductor Laurent Thibault. Together with singer Lucien Zabuski and organist Francis Moze, they created the group Uniweria Zekt Magma Composedra Arguezdra, shortened to Magma.
           

After their first tour, Magma experienced significant lineup turnover. Vocalist Lucien Zabuski was replaced with Klaus Blasquiz, and pianist Eddie Rabin, double bassist Jacky Vidal, and guitarist Claude Engel also joined the group. The group worked on material for three months in a house in the

Chevreuse Valley. Eddie Rabin was replaced by François Cahen on keyboards, and Laurent Thibault abandoned bass to devote himself to production. Francis Moze became the new bassist. The band also expanded with a brass section, consisting of Teddy Lasry on saxophone and clarinet, Richard Raux on saxophone and flute, and Paco Charlery on trumpet. The group's first album, Magma, was released in the spring of 1970 by Philips Records. The group caused a sensation but audience reactions were mixed.
               

After the album was released, Claude Engel, Richard Raux, and Paco Charlery left the group. Jeff Seffer replaced Raux on saxophone, and Louis Toesca replaced Charlery on trumpet. Their second

album, 1001° Centigrades, was released in April 1971. The album won the band more exposure, including a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In August 1972, Magma released the album The Unnamables, under the alias Univeria Zekt. However, the album sold only 1,500 copies. Many musicians left the band that year, including François Cahen, Louis Toesca, Jeff Seffer, Francis Moze, and Teddy Lasry. That same year, Christian Vander recorded the soundtrack for Yvan Lagrange's film Tristan et Iseult.
                

In 1973, Vander formed a new lineup of the band, adding Stella Vander as a second vocalist, Claude Olmos on guitar, Jannick Top replacing Francis Moze on bass, René Garber on saxophone and clarinet, and Jean-Luc Manderlier on keyboards, among others. This new version of the band would release their

most famous work Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh, which would later become their most acclaimed album, and gave them international fame, including a spot at the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival, their first American performance. In 1974, under Vander's name, the band released a soundtrack album accompanying Yvan Lagrange's 1972 film Tristan et Iseult, also known as Ẁurdah Ïtah; under Magma's name, they followed up with Köhntarkösz, which was successful among fans, but not received as well among the public as Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh.
                 

The band would then go on a long, year-and-a-half long tour of France, and after another member shakeup (Bernard Paganotti replacing Jannick Top on bass, Didier Lockwood added as a violinist, Jean-

Pol Asseline and Benot Widemann replacing Gerard Bikialo on keyboards, and Gabriel Federow replacing Claude Olmos on guitar), released their first live album, Live / Hhaï, in December 1975, recorded at the Taverne de l'Olympia in Paris.Vander created a fictional language, Kobaïan, in which most lyrics are sung. In a 1977 interview with Vander and long-time Magma vocalist Klaus Blasquiz, Blasquiz said that Kobaïan is a "phonetic language made by elements of the Slavonic and Germanic languages to be able to express some things musically.
              

The language has of course a content, but not word by word." Vander himself has said, "When I wrote, the sounds [of Kobaïan] came naturally with it—I didn't intellectualise the process by saying 'Ok, now

I'm going to write some words in a particular language', it was really sounds that were coming at the same time as the music. " In the course of their first album, the band tells the story of a group of people fleeing a doomed Earth to settle on the planetKobaïa. Subsequently, conflict arises when the Kobaïans - descendants of the original colonists - encounter other Earth refugees. Later albums tell different stories set in more ancient times; however, the Kobaïan language remains an integral part of the music.
   

MAGMA - KOBAIA

                 

This needs to be heard by everyone who likes music that builds cerebral muscle. Extreme avant-prog

monsters Magma have carved a multi-decade career out of challenging musical conventions and defying expectations. You will be smarter after hearing Magma's brand of eclectic sound and fury. Christian Vander is a huge fan of Frank Zappa's orchestral works, and it comes through in the arrangements. This album is their first, and is a good introduction. Move on to Magma Live for more in this vein.
           

Magma – Magma
Label: Seventh Records – REX 4, Seventh Records – SEVENTH REX IV, Seventh Records – SEVENTH REX V
Format: 2 x CD, Album, Reissue
Country: France
Released: 1988
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Jazz-Rock, Avantgarde, Prog Rock

CD1.  LE VOYAGE

       

  
01. Kobaïa   10:09
Written-By – Christian Vander
02. Aïna   6:15
Written-By – Christian Vander
03. Malaria   4:20
Written-By – Christian Vander
04. Sohïa   7:41
Written-By – Teddy Lasry
05. Sckxyss   2:47
Written-By – François Cahen
06. Auraë   10:52
Written-By – Christian Vander

Flac Size: 300 MB

CD2.  LA DECOUVERTE DE KOBAIA        

            

  
01. Thaud Zaïa    7:00
Written-By – Claude Engel
02. Naü Ektila   12:55
Written-By – Laurent Thibault
03. Stöah   8:08
Written-By – Christian Vander
04. Müh   11:17
Written-By – Christian Vander

Flac Size: 228 MB

LINE - UP

                     

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Richard Raux
Drums, Vocals [Vocal] – Christian Vander
Electric Bass, Contrabass – Francis Moze
Guitar [Guitares], Flute, Vocals [Vocal] – Claude Engel
Piano – François Cahen
Soprano Saxophone, Flute [Première Flûte], Wind [Instruments À Vent] – Teddy Lasry
lTrumpet, Percussion [Percussions] – Alain Charlery «Paco»
Vocals [Chant] – Klaus Blasquiz